SCP Auctions, Inc.
Timed Auction

2024 Fall Premier

Wed, Nov 6, 2024 01:00PM EST - Sat, Nov 23, 2024 10:30PM EST
  • Featured
  • Tennis
  • Game Used
  • Rafael Nadal
Lot 556

2010 Rafael Nadal U.S. Open Match Worn Nike Shirt Photomatched to 3rd Round (Won Tourney to Complete Career Grand Slam!) - Sports Investors LOA

Sold for

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$200 $25
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$10,000 $1,000
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$30,000 $2,500
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
$200,000 $25,000
$500,000 $50,000
$1,000,000 $100,000
$1,500,000 $150,000

Last month, an emotional Rafael Nadal held a press conference announcing his plan to retire at the end of the 2024 season. The 38-year-old Spaniard has struggled with injuries over the past few years, and for two decades he has fought through the incurable Mueller-Weiss syndrome in his foot. It truly is the end of an era. Who will ever match Rafa’s athleticism, perseverance, intensity, and desire to compete on the tennis court? We know one thing. No player will come close to equaling his 14 French Open titles and dominance on clay. His 22 Grand Slams overall are second only to Novak Djokovic on the men’s all-time list.

 

Last auction, we sold Rafa’s 2010 U.S. Open Final match worn shirt for a then-record $72,000. This lot features the shirt he wore in his third-round match against Gilles Simon of France. It has been conclusively photo-matched by Sports Investors Authentication. Nadal’s straight set victory (6-4, 6-4, 6-2) on September 5th propelled him into the fourth round against fellow Spaniard Feliciano López. It wasn’t until the Final against #3 seed Novak Djokovic that top-seeded Rafa even needed to play a fourth set at Flushing Meadows. In an epic final, Nadal defeated his longtime nemesis (6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2) to complete the coveted Career Grand Slam and win his ninth major overall. It was Rafa’s third consecutive major title in a dominant 2010 season during which he held the world #1 ranking all year and finished with a 72-10 record.

 

The neon green Nike player-exclusive shirt has a black Swoosh logo on the left chest. Many tennis polos and athletic shirts are nondescript and, thus, nearly impossible to photo-match. Fortunately, this style has a unique mesh pattern on the shoulders that allowed Sports Investors Authentication to make a conclusive match. It was procured by our consignor from a member of Nadal’s inner circle shortly after the tournament. No size is listed on the internal tagging. Under the wash instructions is a “FA101204G88 CUSTM” coded manufacturer’s flag tag from Nike. The shirt exhibits solid wear with stretching, sweat staining, and minor smudging of the black Nike logo on the fabric. For Nadal, the 2010 U.S. Open was perhaps his most significant major championship. It cemented his legacy at just 24 years old as an all-time great. To this day, only eight men have ever won all four majors. Includes full authentication paperwork from Sports Investors.

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